A philosophy professor stood before his class
and had some items in front of him.
When class began, wordlessly he picked up a
large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to
fill it with rocks, rocks about 2" in diameter.
He then asked the students if the jar was full?
They agreed that it was.
So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles
and poured them into the jar.
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course,
rolled into the open areas between the rocks.
The students laughed. The professor picked up a box of
sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand
filled everything else. "Now," said the professor,
"I want you to recognize that this is your life."
"The rocks are the important things -
your family, your partner, your health -
anything that is so important to you that if
it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job,
your house, and your car.
The sand is everything else. The small stuff."
"If you put the sand into the jar first, there is
no room for the pebbles, and the rocks.
The same goes for your life.
If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff,
you will never have room for the things that are important
to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical
to your happiness. Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups. Take your wife out dancing.
There will always be time to go to work, clean the house,
give a dinner party and fix the disposal."
"Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."